Quality of life for older people living in long‐stay settings in Ireland

Abstract

This study articulates domains of quality of life from the perspective of residents and staff and gives support to the claims that management and organizational structures within long-stay care facilities matter for quality of life. Clear identification of what is important to older people is important as services need to be shaped around quality of life as much as quality of care, notwithstanding the close relationship between the two.

Marginalised Care: Migrant Workers Caring for Older People in Ireland

“…There are more serious concerns around the quality of care in our institutions. Staffing ratios, staff training, resident autonomy and the level of rehabilitative and ancillary care services have all been identified as issues in Irish residential settings (Murphy et al 2006;O'Shea 2003;Walsh and Waldmann 2008). More worryingly, incidences of neglect and even abuse have come to the fore in some recent high profile cases (Leas Cross Review 2006; The Commission of Investigation 2009).…”

“…An estimated additional €500 million is required before Ireland's long-term care expenditure matches the OECD average (NESF 2005). To secure suitable standards of quality of care and quality of life for older people, recent reports and policy documents have emphasised the need for a person-centred approach (NESF 2005;Murphy et al 2006). The current problems in the sector-particularly in regard to funding, prioritisation and regulation-pose serious challenges to the realisation of person-centred care and to the care of dependent older people in the country.…”

Effect of facilities management components on the quality of life of Chinese elderly in care and attention homes

“…The relationship between people and their environment is central to the concept of QoL (Pacione 2003). Freedom, safety and security in the physical environment promote feelings of comfort among the elderly (Murphy et al 2006). However, a living environment with appealing features and good housing facilities, as well as access to good-quality health and social care, may require the investment of huge financial resources (Bullock et al 2008).…”

“…Independence is an important attribute to ensure the elderly autonomy (Murphy et al 2006). Due to the declined health condition, elderly may rely on medical support for maintaining their body functions.…”

“…In fact, more than half of the worldwide elderly population (i.e., 54%) lives in Asia (United Nations 2013). Their quality of life (QoL) requires in-depth consideration due to the imminent anticipated growth rate (Murphy et al 2006). …”